Dan Fogelman‘s “The Land,” a family drama with an NFL twist, will debut on Monday, Feb. 15 on Hulu, just hours after the Super Bowl. The first two episodes will drop at 9 p.m. PT, followed by one new episode a week.
The series, which taps into the NFL in an unprecedented way to create authentic storytelling, stars Christopher Meloni, Mandy Moore, Chace Crawford, Sam Corlett, Tanner Zagarino, Chloe Bennet, Bridget Moynahan, William H. Macy and Omar Epps.
This is the official series synopsis: “After several disappointing seasons, Cleveland Browns’ head coach Danny Rourke (Meloni) has one last chance to turn around his football team. His fate rests on a newly drafted Ohio State quarterback — who just happens to be his son. Meanwhile, the owner, Hal Durkin (Macy), must decide which of his two daughters is best equipped to take over the team. ‘The Land’ is the story of two families, in which the high-stakes drama plays out not only on the field but also in the front offices of this NFL franchise, as a loyal fanbase wants a winning season now … or face big changes if they don’t.”
Produced by 20th Television and Skydance Sports, Fogelman serves as creator, executive producer and showrunner. Jess Rosenthal, Kevin Falls, Justin Adler, with David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, and Jason T. Reed also executive produce.
Although this is not a direct Super Bowl lead-out — the game is airing on ESPN, ABC and Disney+ — Fogelman is not new to the sports universe. In 2018, “This Is Us” landed the key spot when the game was on NBC, with a strong Season 2 episode about the Super Bowl.
He’s also got quite a bit of experience working on authenticity when it comes to bringing sports into television. For his critically acclaimed (yet canceled after one season) drama, “Pitch,” Fogelman worked closely with Fox and MLB to tell a story of the first female pitcher in the league, getting major access to Dodger Stadium and Petco Park.
See first look photos at “The Land” below:
